220 Riverside breaks ground in Brooklyn

Project developers, public officials and business partners on Tuesday broke ground on the 220 Riverside project in Brooklyn. The seven-story, 294-unit multifamily rental housing and mixed-use development will have 18,000 square feet of retail space and has an anticipated completion date of August 2014. Alex Coley, Hallmark Partners president, said the project has been a 10-year effort that he envisions as being the epicenter of the community. “We’ve done it and we’ve done it right,” he said. The project also will feature an urban park that will operate under a public-private partnership and have an executive director, who Coley said is currently being sought, and will program the park for 250-plus days. The project received City incentives that Mayor Alvin Brown said were part of an investment to spur economic development and improve quality of life. The project will grow an estimated $6.9 million for the City and schools over the next 20 years, according to a news release. Tony Allegretti, JAX Chamber Downtown Engagement director and master of ceremonies for the event, said the housing component represents a 15 percent growth in Downtown housing.